Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-03-11

sentenced to be hanged on the fol
lowing morning. d., who was a
member of the Vigilance Commit
tee, was detailed to guard the fel
low during the night.
One by one the tired miners wen
to sleep. Night settled down, and
d. was left sitting on a box, his
rifle across his knees, while the
outlaw was bound securely with
ropes aud tied with his back to a
tree only a few feet away. The
Overland mail had arrived that day,
and along toward midnight ID.
lighted a candle and began reading
a Cincinnati newspaper IN an en-
deavor to make the long hours pass
quickly. The camp was in tall
pine forest-the treetops so close
together that they shut out any
light from the stars. Here and
there could be seen miners, rolled
up in their blankets, fast asleep on
the ground. A few smonldering
fires still gave a little light; now
and then a momentary flame would
shoot up from one Of them, bright
ening the dark night but little, and
then through the gloom could be
seen ID. guarding the prisoner. All
was quiet. ID. was reading home
news, when the prisoner, who had
seen the name of the paper, printed
IN large type at the top of the page,
broke the silence by saying in low
voice:
"Stranger, will you let me say a
few words to you' Pve got only a
few hours, and l want to speak to
!
you a little
eyes" answered D., in a surly
tone, ego on"
"Do You hail from Cincinnati, my
friend. see you are reading a
| Cincinnati newspaper, and that was
nv home, and l would like to ask
YOU, if yor ever 90 back that way,
TO tell a .itt,N lie for me, and say l
had been l,l!ed fighting the In
dams, for it would break my poor
old fathers heart if he heard the
truth"
"rll do it," answered D. "But
don't call me your friend"
Something familiar in the prison
ers voice struck d., however, and
as the man talked d. wondered
where he had heard that voice be-
fore, and finally settled on the man
as Bill s., who had been a big boy
and in higher class at st. Francis
Xavier's College when he himself
was a little boy there. And in the
| tall, broad-shouldered, brawny-
looking outlaw, his face hardened
BY exposure and dissipation, could
still be seen the likeness of the
schoolboy who had run away from
home to California.
"Excuse me-" said the prisoner,
"for calling you my friend, but you
were reading paper from my home,
and il seemed to me | had seen you
before. Did you go to the Jesults'
school in Cincinnati when you we're
q little boy, for your face reminds
me of a youngster l knew there
whose name was d., Frank d., l
Think remember him very well,
because one day he was being bull
lied by a bigger boy; he was deli
cate and couldn't defend himself,
and l turned in and laid the bully
out"
eyes, Bill" said d., 81 was the
boy and l remember it all. But !
am sorry to see you here. | didn't
think you had gone so low. And
now, Bill, you have got to die in
the morning, and if you have any
messages that you want to send
home you had better give them to
me, for your time IS short. l will
tell the lie you asked me to tell,
and If necessary l will cover it up
with thousand more.
After remaining in silence for
some time and evidently in deep
thought, d. continued "Bill, do
YOU think after this experience, if
you we're free again, that you would
lead a decent life and become a
good citizen" EYES," said Bill, 81
would, but there's no show for me
now"
"Well, Bill, if you will promise
me faithfully that you will never
steal again, that you will always
try to do right, / will let you go, in
remembrance of the time when you
| licked that bully to save me, for |
think boy who would do that
would grow to be man too good to
hang
"But Frank" said Bill, "can you
do it and save yourself, for they
might hang you in my place, and
would rather stay and take my med
icine than do that"
"Never mind about that, Bill
Talk low and we will arrange the
plan. l will cut your ropes and
give you my knife. In the morn
log will be found asleep, my
knife taken, and you gone. When
you 90 down the canyon take my
mule. Be sure about it, for my life
may depend on that. He is the